| Farah (فراه) | |
| Province | |
| Country |  Afghanistan |
|---|---|
| Capital | Farah |
| - coordinates | 32°30′N 63°30′E / 32.5°N 63.5°E |
| Area | 48,471 km2 (18,715 sq mi) |
| Population | 925,016 (2006) [1] |
| Density | 9.0 /km2 (23 /sq mi) |
| Timezone | UTC+4:30 |
| Main languages | Pashto Dari Persian |
 Map of Afghanistan with Farah highlighted
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Farah (Persian: فراه) (Pashto: فراه) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the southwest of the country. Its capital is Farah. Farah is a spacious and sparsely populated province that lies on the Iranian border. The population is predominantly Pashtun.
Geographically the province is approximately 18,000 square miles, making it (comparatively) more than twice the size of Maryland, or half the size of South Korea. The province is bounded on the north by Herat, on the northeast by Ghor, the southeast by Helmand, the south by Nimroz, and on the west by Iran. It is the fourth largest province in Afghanistan.
The province is home to a great many ruined castles including the "Castle of the Infidel" just south of Farah City.
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Culture
Farah is associated with large families (families typically have a minimum of four children). The culture of Farah is patriarchal, where the tribal leaders, almost always men, are highly respected. Family pride is strongly valued and family members are taught to respect it and ensure that it is maintained at all times.
The tomb of Syed Muhammad Jaunpuri (who claimed to be the Mahdi) is in Farah and is visited every year by many people from all around the world, especially Pakistan and India.
Security Situation
Farah has not seen much fighting since the US backed overthrow of the Taliban in 2001, and is peaceful, relative to many parts of the country. However, mountainous Eastern Farah has seen at least one US offensive against Taliban forces. In February 2005, the Taliban killed an aid worker in northern Farah and there was a failed Taliban assassination attempt on the governor. Due to its proximity to the restive Helmand and Uruzgan provinces, Farah has experienced problems with roaming insurgent gangs moving through the province and occupying parts of the province for brief periods of time [2]. Incidents of this type have increased as Taliban fighters face heavy pressure from ISAF offensives in the south.
Farah Province roads have seen massive improvement since May 2005 and are still being improved to date April 2006. The education system has been greatly improved and a great number of illegal weapons have been collected and destroyed in the province as testimony to the Provincial Reconstruction Team.
In May 2009, an American airstrike in the village of Granai in Bala Buluk District occurred that killed a large number of civilians. American authorities are investigating the incident. According to the New York Times, the villagers say that 147 were killed, an independent Afghan human rights group says 117 were killed, but the American authorities are skeptical that even 100 were killed. As with all American airstrikes in Afghanistan, it was intended against the Taliban, but villagers say that the Taliban had left by the time the airstrike occurred. [3] On May 19, the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry visited Farah town to talk with the survivors. He promised that "the United States will work tirelessly with your government, army and police to find ways to reduce the price paid by civilians, and avoid tragedies like what occurred in Bala Baluk."[4]
Demographics
Farah province has a Pashtun majority of 80%.[1] Persian speaking Tajiks live around the capital city (Yazdi in Farah: people from Yazd in Iran migrated to Farah and called a small part of the capital "Yazdi") and are 14% of the population. Balochs are concentrated in the south of the province. There are also some Aimaks and Hazaras.
Districts
| District | Capital | Population[5] | Area[6] | Notes[7] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anar Dara | 24,782 | 70% Tajik, 30% Pashtun | ||
| Bakwa | 39,871 | 100% Pashtun | ||
| Bala Buluk | 72,465 | 95% Pashtun, 5% Tajik | ||
| Farah | 109,409 | 85% Pashtun, 10% Tajik, 5% other | ||
| Gulistan | 49,774 | 80% Pashtun, 20% Tajik | ||
| Khaki Safed | 34,600 | 99% Pashtun, 1% Tajik | ||
| Lash Wa Juwayn | 20,499 | 50% Pashtun, 50% Tajik | ||
| Pur Chaman | 51,626 | 95% Tajik, 5% Pashtun | ||
| Pusht Rod | 36,315 | 99% Pashtun, 1% Tajik | ||
| Qala-I-Kah | 30,653 | 70% Pashtun, 30% Tajik | ||
| Shib Koh | 23,013 | 70% Pashtun, 15% Tajik, 15% other |
References
- ^ a b Afghanistan's Provinces – Farah at NPS
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/20/world/asia/20afghan.html?ref=world
- ^ http://www.mrrd.gov.af/nabdp/Provincial%20Profiles/Farrah%20PDP%20Provincial%20profile.pdf
- ^ Afghanistan Geographic & Thematic Layers
- ^ http://www.aims.org.af/ssroots.aspx?seckeyt=364
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